Thursday Afternoon News, September 13

Beef Products, Incorporated Suing ABC News

(Dakota Dunes, SD) -- Dakota Dunes based B-P-I has filed a $1.2 Billion lawsuit against ABC News and the American Broadcasting Company for knowingly and intentionally publishing false and disparaging statements regarding B-P-I and its product known as lean Finely Textured Beef. The 250 page lawsuit was filed in Union County District Court in South Dakota Thursday morning.

Dan Webb, chairman of the Winston and Strawn law firm that is representing the company, says ABC News launched a long term sustained vicious attack of misinformation against B-P-I.

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Webb says the lawsuit takes issue with the term "Pink Slime" which how many of the news reports referred to B-P-I's product.

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Webb says he will tell a jury that 30 years of hard work and production of a good product were decimated in the 30 days of ABC's reports.

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The company estimates it lost $400 million in profits, so they are asking for triple damages as specified under South Dakota's food disparagment statute, as well as additional punitive damages.

A statement from ABC News says the lawsuit is without merit.

Correctionville To Get New Grocery Store

CORRECTIONVILLE, Iowa (AP) - Community volunteers in the town of Correctionville are building a new grocery store to replace one destroyed in a 2009 fire. For the last three years, Correctionville residents have had to make a near hour-long round trip to neighboring towns to buy groceries. But in May, volunteers came together to build a new store in downtown Correctionville. The new store, called "The Mercantile," will be managed and owned by Mark and Dawn McCrea of Correctionville. It is set to open around Christmas or early next year. ---

Floyd Valley Garden Club To Give Away Daffodils

(Le Mars) -- The Le Mars Convention and Visitors Bureau has again awarded a Daffodil beautification grant to the Floyd Valley Garden Club. Last fall, residents along Central Avenue South were offered 20 free King Alfred daffodils by the two groups. Those flowers bloom in April. Beginning Sunday, September 16th, and continuing next week, club members will canvas this year's planting routes. Frank Summerside of the Floyd Valley Garden Club explains why the club decided on daffodils. Listen to

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The Floyd Valley Garden Club distributed 1200 bulbs last year along Central Avenue South. Residents were given 20 free bulbs along with planting instructions. This year, Summerside says the club wants to focus on Central Avenue North

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In addition to Central Avenue North, the local garden club will also focus on Highway 3.

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Summerside says if you passed on the opportunity last year, you can contact the Floyd Valley Garden Club and be included in the project for this year.

Iowa Health Officials Want Students To Be Immunized Against Whooping Cough

(Des Moines) -- Iowa public health officials want next year's seventh-graders to get a booster shot for whooping cough to boost their immunity before they go to school. Iowa has seen a surge in the disease over the past year, especially among adolescents. Statemedical director Dr. Patricia Quinlisk says the increase is because their immunity wanes in the years after they're vaccinated as babies and toddlers. So far this year, Iowa has had 1,085 cases of whooping cough, or pertussis. That's up nearly five times the number reported in 2011. Quinlisk spoke Wednesday to the Iowa Board of Health, which will decide later this year whether to add the middle-school pertussis booster to the vaccinations young children are required to havebefore entering grade school.

Iowa DHS Failed To Guard Against Fraud

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A new federal report says the Iowa Department of Human Services has failed to adequately guard against fraud in its state-run child care program for the poor. The inspector general of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued the report Monday. It says the state agency's process of paying claims within the program has left it vulnerable to fraud, waste and abuse. The program provides about $88 million worth of assistance to familieseach year. The report estimates that between April 2010 and March 2011, the state agency had paid out $21.7 million in questionable claims. The state agency agreed with most of the inspector general's recommendations, but said some of the criticisms were unfounded.